Jollof Rice Recipe | Diethood

Jollof rice is a conventional West African dish of long-grained rice cooked in an intensely flavored sauce with blended tomato, bell pepper, Scotch bonnet pepper, heat spices, and extra. This savory, spicy aspect is certain to get up your style buds.

Straightforward Jollof Rice Recipe

Rice. It’s a staple in cultures all over the world. It’s a fantastically versatile starch that may be dressed up or down in seemingly limitless methods. In West Africa, they’ve created one thing particular. Jollof rice could be discovered just about anyplace you flip. I used to be in Morocco final month, and I ordered it virtually all over the place we went to eat. It serves as a superb, spicy aspect to many savory mains and is usually even loved as a meal by itself.

It takes a little bit additional effort than your typical white rice dish may, however it’s value it. You possibly can scent the heat of a Nigerian spice mix as you simmer the wealthy, spicy, tomato-based sauce that serves because the cooking liquid for this flavorful rice dish. Pop all of it within the oven and let the magic occur. The tip product is a wonderfully fluffy, savory, just-spicy-enough rice dish that may transport you to a different continent.

What’s Jollof Rice?

Jollof rice is a conventional dish discovered all through West Africa however mostly in Nigeria and Ghana. It consists of long-grained rice cooked in a tomato-based sauce full of heat spices. It has a kick as a result of addition of a Scotch bonnet pepper. Jollof rice is often served as a aspect dish, usually subsequent to hearty meat stews, but it surely additionally has protein added to it typically, like beef or goat.

Recipe Elements

So many spices and large flavors! Right here’s an inventory of what you have to to make jollof rice.

For the Nigerian curry powder:

• Floor coriander
• Floor turmeric
• Floor ginger
• Floor cayenne pepper
• Floor cumin
• Floor black pepper
• Floor nutmeg
• Floor mustard powder
• Floor cloves

For the sauce:

• Purple onion
• Purple bell pepper
• Tomato puree
• Roma tomato
• Garlic powder
• Recent thyme
• Scotch bonnet pepper: Take away the seeds except you need an extremely spicy Jollof. You may also use a special pepper, equivalent to habanero.
• Rooster bouillon granules: These are non-obligatory, however they’ll add some additional depth.
• Rooster broth
• Nigerian curry powder
• Avocado oil: Or you need to use vegetable oil.

To cook dinner the rice

• Unsalted butter
• Tomato paste
• Parboiled Basmati rice: Parboiled jasmine rice will work right here as nicely.
• Rooster Broth
• Bay leaves
• Sea salt

The best way to Make Jollof Rice

I take pleasure in making this flavorful rice dish and love that the sauce is used as a part of the cooking liquid. Right here’s a fast rundown of tips on how to make Ghana jollof rice. Keep in mind to scroll to the recipe under for extra detailed directions.

For the sauce

• Whisk collectively the spices for the Nigerian spice mix.
• In a meals processor or blender, mix the purple onion, purple bell pepper, tomato puree, Roma tomato, garlic powder, thyme, Scotch bonnet, hen bouillon granules, hen broth, and Nigerian curry powder till clean.
• Scale back the sauce. Warmth the avocado oil over medium-high warmth in a heavy-bottomed skillet, add the sauce, carry it to a boil, after which simmer for 10 minutes.

To cook dinner the rice

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

• Cook dinner the tomato paste. Soften the butter in a saucepan and cook dinner the tomato paste within the pan till darkish purple, stirring constantly.
• Toast the rice. Add the rice to the pan and cook dinner for two minutes whereas continuously stirring.

• Add the sauce, hen inventory, bay leaves, and sea salt. Stir to mix.
• Bake: Cowl with a lid and bake for half-hour.
• Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Suggestions for Success

Rice may seem to be a no brainer, but it surely’s simple to get it mistaken. Rice can burn, prove mushy, and do many different less-than-ideal issues. Comply with the following tips and tips to get the most effective jollof rice potential.

• Purchase the correct rice. The mistaken rice can throw off this recipe. Choose long-grained, parboiled rice. That is the one I used 👉 https://amzn.to/3l0Pdck. Basmati is my favourite, however jasmine rice will do nicely right here too. Quick-grained rice is starchier and tends to clump collectively. Rice that has not been parboiled will cook dinner sooner, leaving you with a mushy Jollof.
• Get the rice-to-liquid ratio proper. After decreasing it on the stovetop, the quantity of sauce you’re left with could also be roughly than the prompt 2 cups. If in case you have underneath two cups of sauce, add extra hen inventory to finish up with the correct quantity of liquid. If in case you have additional sauce, discard it or take pleasure in it with crusty bread. Don’t add it to the recipe.
• No peeking. Whereas the rice is cooking within the oven, it’s essential to not open the lid to examine on the progress of the rice. This may enable steam to flee and can disrupt the cooking course of. So think about the recipe and be affected person.
• Fluff instantly. When the Jollof comes out of the oven, instantly give it a pleasant fluff. In the event you wait to do that, the rice is extra prone to clump collectively and create a sticky mess.

Variation Concepts

This easy Jollof rice serves as a wonderful canvas for enjoyable additions equivalent to veggies and meats. Make it your personal with a number of of those thrilling variations.

• Add veggies. Earlier than including the tomato paste, saute onions, bell pepper, and/or carrots; take away them from the pot earlier than including the tomato paste and add them again in earlier than baking. You may also add peas to the combination simply earlier than baking for a pop of colour.
• Add meat. Sear a number of items of hen, beef, or pork, and nestle them on high of the rice earlier than protecting and baking. I really like utilizing bone-in, skin-on hen thighs.
• Kind of spice. Jollof could be fairly spicy as a result of addition of the bonnet pepper. Be happy to make use of half of a pepper or choose a barely extra gentle pepper, equivalent to a jalapeno. Need extra spice? Add a second bonnet pepper (or half of 1). Simply keep in mind that a little bit bit goes a great distance.
• Recent herbs. Toss the Jollof with a little bit of chopped contemporary parsley. It provides colour and a little bit of brightness to the flavour profile. Cilantro can be a sensible choice as nicely.

What Goes with Jollof Rice?

This flavorful aspect is a staple all through West Africa. It goes nicely with hearty meat dishes, soups, stews, salads, and different starchy sides. Listed here are a few of my favourite methods to serve it.

Extra Methods to Cook dinner Rice

Rice is such a flexible grain. Jollof rice is filled with taste and spice. It actually is scrumptious but when it isn’t fairly your factor, listed below are just a few of my different favourite rice dishes.

ENJOY!